Greenville Technical College Honors Program

The mission of the Honors Program at Greenville Technical College is to enhance the academic experience for bright, highly-motivated students who desire a challenge, take responsibility for learning, and seek intellectual and cultural stimulation. This motivated community of scholars has opportunities beyond the traditional classroom to develop their potential through community service projects, cultural engagement events, colloquia, and leadership activities that connect with their enriched academic coursework. Small, challenging classes encourage give-and-take between student and instructor, enhance opportunities for independent research, and allow the student to pursue individual goals. The program serves as a catalyst for innovative development not only within the honors curriculum but also within other courses.

If you are highly motivated, you’ll have the opportunity to take on a rewarding learning experience.

In small classes, you’ll interact more closely with faculty and a community of learners who welcome the level of challenge that you have sought.

You will participate in a program which goes beyond career training, which challenges your critical thinking and considers the whole person as a member of the community.

Honors students continually test their intellectual limits, working creatively and seriously to reach their highest potentials as scholars and leaders. These students demonstrate initiative and experience a depth of study beyond the conventional expectations of the traditional classroom as they engage in a learning process that encourages participation, creativity, and imagination.

If you meet the requirements, you’ll be able to graduate with honors, a designation that will be noted on your transcript and diploma.

BENEFITS

Enhanced educational opportunities within the two-year college experience

Small, challenging, seminar-based courses taught by Honors faculty

Opportunities to present scholarly work in professional academic settings

Better transfer reception by other institutions

Honors course notation on transcripts

Competitive edge in scholarship applications at other institutions

Community-based service learning opportunities

Cultural engagement opportunities

Leadership development opportunities

Additional extracurricular opportunities

Comprehensive academic advising and mentoring

Letters of recommendation by Honors Program director

Recognition of Honors Program completion at commencement ceremony

CLASSES

Honors classes are modeled after graduate seminars. They are small, allowing maximum interaction between students and instructors. Lecturing is minimal. Instead, students are expected to be well prepared for class to encourage a highly participatory process.

SERVICE AND CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT

The intended outcome of the Honors Program is not only to develop students academically but to also enrich students' understanding and appreciation of a diverse local community via service learning and cultural engagement activities. Thus, the service and cultural engagement requirements of the program help to foster students' commitment to the betterment of their community and are equally as important as the classroom component of the Honors Program.

The Honors Program is currently open to all students seeking Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees and most Associate of Applied Science degrees including nursing, visual and performing arts, and engineering transfer students. Please contact the Honors office for a full list of programs. If your degree is not part of the Honors Program, you may be able to take honors courses with special permission.

Greenville Technical College students and students transferring to GTC from other colleges are eligible to apply for acceptance into the Honors Program if they have a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or higher and at least nine transferable credit hours.

High school students entering Greenville Technical College should have an unweighted high school GPA of at least 3.5 or a score of 1150 or above on the SAT or 26 on the ACT.

Our program has developed a variety of Honors-to-Honors pathways for students who are interested in continuing Honors level work at four-year institutions after they have successfully completed the Honors Program at GTC.

Our program currently has formal agreements with

USC Upstate

Converse College

College of Charleston

Lander University

Coker College

We also have working relationships with many other transfer institutions including

Furman University

University of South Carolina

Clemson University

Winthrop University

Limestone College

Southern Wesleyan University

East Tennessee State University

For more information about these pathways, please contact the Honors Program office.

The Honors Program Advisory Council meets biannually to help guide the program's pursuit of its organizational mission.

Accreditation

Greenville Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Greenville Technical College.

Honors courses are currently offered in the Fall and Spring Semesters and only on the Barton Campus. Honors courses are not offered during summer terms. Every attempt is made to offer enough course selections for new and continuing students. Honors course offerings change each semester; the courses listed below are subject to change as necessary. For a current list, please go to our course schedules page and select Honors Courses.

Typical Honors Semester Course Offerings

The following Honors courses are typically offered during Fall semesters: